IB Psychology: Memory EssayUse at least 3 studies as proof, which is the most reliable memory theory: Schema theory or Flashbulb memory theory? Although both memory theories; Schema theory and flash memory theory are both useful and reliable when assessing cognition, they have both advantages and disadvantages. It is these advantages and disadvantages, as well as supporting studies, that will be used to determine which theory of memory is the most reliable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayA schema is a cognitive framework that allows us to organize the knowledge we have stored in our memories. Schemas are mental representations of how we categorize different aspects of the world such as people, objects and events. Schema theory simply states that all knowledge is organized into different schemas. The knowledge stored in our memories is organized into various patterns, which ultimately represent our general knowledge of the world, people, situations, etc. Frederick Bartlett (1932) shows that schemas not only influence a person's ability to remember information, but also that culture plays a role in schema processing. The aim of the study was to determine how cultural and social factors influence schema and how they can lead to memory distortions. The participants used in the experiment were British students. Participants were not aware of the aim or purpose of the study. They were asked to read a Native American folk tale called “The War of the Ghosts.” Participants' memory of the story was tested when they were asked to recite the story several times after a given amount of time. The results of the experiment showed that as the number of reproductions increased, the length of the story became shorter and more changes were made. An example of this change is what was initially "seal hunting" and "canoe" transformed into "fishing" and "boat". The aspects of the story that changed were things that were "culturally unfamiliar to the English participants". Bartlett found that these modifications made the story more "normal" and understandable to the participants because they are more familiar with their schemas (their experiences and cultural context). This study shows that memory is imprecise because it can always be altered in order to fit into pre-existing patterns. It also shows that schema theory is useful in trying to understand “how people categorize information, interpret stories, and make inferences.” Another study demonstrating schema theory is that of French and Richards (1933). The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of schema on memory retrieval. There were three different conditions in the experiment. In the first condition, participants saw a clock with Roman numerals (the number four was represented as “IIII” on this clock instead of the standard “IV”). They were then asked to draw the clock from memory. In the second condition, participants had to see the same clock and draw it from memory. The only difference was that they were told, before seeing the clock, that they would have to draw it from memory. In the third condition, the clock remained visible to the participants while they..